Art in action

At the start of February, the artist Peter Rush and I travelled to Cambodia to take art workshops to street children and those suffering deprivation. Many children in Cambodia are caught in a cycle of privation, their families traumatised by the fall-out of many wars. During Pol Pot’s murderous regime, Cambodia’s middle classes were wiped out and its cultural heritage destroyed.

Having noticed Peter’s talent for awakening and fostering an enthusiasm for creative expression, I wanted to assist and capture the process. At the same time, this allowed me to carry out my own investigation into this type of art activism. A crucial factor in my research was whether our stay would prove worthwhile: we were well-intentioned tourists and arts volunteers in a society we knew very little about and whose language we did not speak.

The creative process was intended to help street children develop economic means for survival. Peter discovered that a plastic stirrer in a hot cup of coffee would bend very easily, and developed this into a technique for making beetles and other insects out of plastic cutlery. Low tech, the process requires easily obtained materials: a source of heat, glue, chicken wire and paints, such as nail varnishes, car sprays, inks or glitter.

We quickly found that our original intention to go onto the streets and teach children art, was both naïve and convoluted. Many non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and charities are committed to helping Cambodian children on a daily basis. They provide food, clothing and education, and are trying to release children from homelessness and not prolong their isolation from the community. Many NGOs invited Peter to teach children at their premises. Had we been able, we could have presented workshops non-stop. The hunger to become re-acquainted with creative talents was palpable. There is so much opportunity for healing through the arts and education. Wherever we visited children were visibly excited to be included in art.

In Cambodia, there is ample evidence that creative expression can heal the traumas of conflict. Opening people’s eyes to the world and confirming their creative potential remains intrinsic to the arts. To believe in the healing impact of art and culture is ample reward for the opportunity to participate in and study art activism in this conflict-stricken country.